Public Life

Public Life

Below the opinion issued by UNAR for matters regarding the public life:

Observations regarding ordinance n99-2009 of the mayor of Varallo - ban on the use of the burkini by Muslim women

With order No. 99 of 2009 the mayor of Varallo, noticing the widespread use, among Muslim women, of wearing the “burkini” (name for their swimsuit) in the pool or in the banks of rivers and streams, he ordered the ban on wearing the “burkini” along the rivers and in the bathing facilities throughout the city.

The motivation of the ordinance refers to “hygienic-sanitary reasons”, as well as decorum and protection of the “serenity of bathers, especially of the little ones”: hence the prohibition of use in public places.

The violation of the ordinance involves an administrative penalty of € 500.00 that can be reconciled with the payment of € 50.00; in the event of recurrence with a new violation committed within the five years following the previous one, the fine is raised to € 100.00.

The opinion of UNAR is that this ordinance is certainly flawed and illegitimate for a variety of legal reasons.

Since this is a contingent and urgent ordinance on the subject of hygiene and public health, the requirements of the law are also missing, even for a summary examination: urgency, danger, effectiveness limited in time.

Anonymous identity questionnaire containing questions concerning the ethnic, religious and linguistic affiliation of the citizens of the municipality of Resia (province of Udine)

Opinion n.22 – Rep. 361 – del 14/01/2011

UNAR received a report from a citizen of the Municipality of Resia (Udine), who reported that the municipal administration had sent to the resident families an anonymous identity questionnaire containing questions related to their ethnic, religious and linguistic affiliation. In relation to this, the reporter asked UNAR to assess whether this initiative could be considered legitimate or, alternatively, discriminatory.

The opinion of UNAR is that, from the assessed elements emerged, we are not talking about ethnic discrimination, having the mayor well specified that the intent of the questionnaire was not to do a linguistic investigation but rather an “anonymous” study of the Resian culture and identity.